The Internet was abuzz Tuesday night with word that wealthy Los Angeles entrepreneur Phil Anschutz is poised to purchase, or has bought, a 35 percent stake in the San Diego Chargers.

Until that is, Mark Fabiani, the team's special counsel, muted speculation in a statement e-mailed to reporters just before 11 p.m., saying, "There is no truth to the rumor out of Toronto that the Chargers have agreed to sell a portion of the team to Mr. Anschutz."

There were also reports Tuesday that NBA basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson was involved in an effort with Anschutz's AEG to bring a National Football League team back to Los Angeles after an absence of 16 years. Fabiani said he didn't know anything about that.

Florio's blog post said, "Veteran Toronto-based sports personality Bob McCown of the Fan 590 reports that Philip Anschutz 'has or will purchase' 35 percent of the Chargers. McCown adds that the move 'apparently' will be the first step in a move of the team to Los Angeles."

Marty Caswell, a producer/reporter at XX1090 Sports Radio, wrote on Twitter: "Magic Johnson tonite on Jimmy Kimmel 'I'm announcing this today, I teamed up w/Tim Leiweke & AEG, & we're going to come together to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles." ESPN also reported Johnson's involvement -- and the fact that the Minnesota Vikings were being courted for a potential move to Los Angeles.

Anschutz is the force behind AEG, which recently proposed building an NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles. That proposal is one of two serious plans to bring football back to the No. 2 television market in the country after a long draught without the professional sport that dates back to the departure of the Rams and Raiders in 1994.

The Chargers announced earlier this month that owner Alex Spanos was trying to sell a minority stake in the team. He has a 36 percent share and is the team's single-largest stakeholder. (His four children each own 15 percent shares and two other people own a combined 4 percent.) Fabiani said at the time the amount of the share that would be sold would be determined during negotiations.

He said the potential sale was a matter of estate planning. Spanos is 87 and has dementia.